On Thursday, June 29, the London Court of Appeal ruled that the UK’s notorious Rwanda asylum plan was illegal. Under the deal, illegal migrants in the UK would be relocated to Rwanda for processing their asylum and resettlement. The ruling served as a major blow to the anti-refugee policies of the Tory government under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The majority of the three-member court concluded that despite the assurances given by the Rwandan government on the safety of the immigrants, it was not a “safe third country” to host migrants while their asylum applications were being processed by the UK.
Following the ruling, Sunak commented that while respecting the court’s ruling, he disagreed with the conclusion that Rwanda was not a safe country. He also stated that the government will seek permission to appeal this ruling in the Supreme Court.
Activist groups in the UK like Stand Up to Racism welcomed the court decision saying that the “three senior judges have ruled that it is unlawful for the UK government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their claims processed. The Government’s racist plan was ruled illegal!”
The UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership signed by Home Secretary Priti Patel in April 2022 to relocate illegal immigrants to Rwanda for processing their asylum and resettlement had sparked an international outcry. As per the deal, Rwanda would receive £120 million (USD 151.93 million) in up-front costs to accommodate the refugees.
The first deportation flight to Rwanda on June 14, 2022 was grounded just minutes before take-off, due to a direct action by activists and an eleventh hour intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Later, in December last year, the UK High Court validated the legality of the plan, which was immediately contested and appealed by asylum seekers and human rights organizations. In March 2023, Suella Braverman visited Rwanda, renewed the MoU with Rwanda on relocation of refugees, and visited potential sites to house the migrants deported to the county from the UK.
The Sunak government’s policy on refugees has already courted widespread criticism from activist groups and human rights organizations. His refugee policy called ‘stop the boat’ is aimed at stopping the transit of migrants to the UK through the English Channel. In March 2023, Braverman introduced the “Illegal Migration Bill’ in the parliament to clamp down on the small boat refugee crossings to the UK through the English Channel. The bill is currently under the report stage in the House of Lords.
In November 2022, the UK updated its deal with France to increase surveillance in the English Channel to block migrant crossings. The UK has also struck multiple deals with Albania to facilitate the return of Albanians refugees who failed to secure asylum in the UK, criminals in jail, and people with expired visas to their country.
The plan to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers in barges docked at British ports was the latest anti-refugee bid by the Tory government, which also courted widespread criticism. Emboldened by the government’s policies against refugees, far-right groups have been organizing anti-refugee demonstrations across the country. Citing Home Office records, Morning Star reported on June 5 that due to the dysfunctional asylum application processing systems in the country, “a total of 172,758 people were waiting for an initial decision on asylum applications at the end of March 2023, up 57% from a year earlier.” Meanwhile, asylum seekers in the UK are suffering in overcrowded refugee reception centers.
On June 29, MP Jeremy Corbyn tweeted, “Suella Braverman’s dream of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is dead. Now let’s fight for the dreams of refugees by helping them rebuild their lives in dignity, safety and peace.”
